Frequently Asked Questions

Find the answers to the most common questions about the #1 European Profitability and Utilization Report dedicated to C-Level Executives of IT Services Firms.

How will the collected data be used, and who will have access to them?

The data is used only to prepare a report with personalized benchmarks and self-assessment. Personalization will be done automatically based on a script developed internally for the survey. In case of any error - we may have access to the data in a way that does not allow for identifying the specific company. (unless you've entered your email address)

What measures have been taken to prevent sensitive information from being leaked or misused?

The data will be collected and initially stored with a dedicated data collection tool passing SOC-2, GDPR and other security privacy and security policies. It will be then transferred to a local disc of the analyst running the analysis and will not be distributed further. Once the analysis is completed, the data will be moved to Google Drive, a secure cloud based management system, and deleted from the local disc. At all stages of the process, the access to the data will be granted only to the employees who have genuine business reasons to interact with the data and who have completed data security and privacy training.

Will the survey results be aggregated to ensure individual company data is not identifiable?

Yes. The data is aggregated in a way that won’t allow for identification of specific companies - including but not limited to: the Report will not include any case studies based on the data from respondents, the analysis will only include a sample larger than five in data presentation, the report will not allow accessing raw data through charts, etc.

How will the survey data be stored, and for how long? Are there any data retention policies in place?

For the process of data storage, please see question “What measures have been taken to prevent sensitive information from being leaked or misused?”. The data will be stored only until there is a genuine business case. The moment this business case ceases to exist, the data will be permanently deleted.

Can I withdraw my company's data from the survey after submission if I change my mind about participating?

Yes. The data can be withdrawn upon request but cannot be asked to edit or update after submitting. Depending on the timing, withdrawing the data will have one of the two results. If the data is withdrawn before the Report is published, the data will be permanently deleted and not used in the analysis. If the data is withdrawn after the Report has been published, the Report will not be altered hence the data will remain as part of the aggregated sample. However, the data will be deleted from any raw data still residing on Box unless the genuine business case for keeping the data has previously expired and the data no longer exists.

Will the survey data be anonymized during the analysis to further ensure participant confidentiality?

The survey is anonymous and sharing any personal or sensitive information is not required to participate. Respondents are given an option to voluntarily provide an email address if they wish to receive personalized reports with benchmarks for their company. Before analyzing the data for the report, all email addresses will be anonymized.

Will the survey data be shared with partners?

No. Partners will receive ONLY a publicly available report without any additional data.

What is Primetric Maturity Score and how it’s been developed?

The Primetric Maturity Score was developed based on observations and interviews with more than 500 representatives of leading IT services companies in Europe, as well as the Maturity Score developed for more than 20 years by US-based research companies dedicated to professional services companies (IT, Accounting, Legal, Engineering, etc.).

Our Maturity Score focuses on the European IT services industry, and is primarily designed to assess a company's operational excellence. It allows managers and executives to evaluate the degree of advancement based on more than 60 different variables and indicators that are key in increasing profitability, and balancing profitability, employee utilization, and controlled company growth.

How is the Maturity Score calculated for my company?

Each question is assigned a score that assesses the sophistication of company's operational and management processes. On this basis, an automated self-assessment is created. Company’s final score will determine the advancement level of a business in question. You will also receive personalized guidance to increase your company's profitability based on your answers.

Will the survey questions be adjusted based on my answers?

Yes. Depending on the answers to previous questions, subsequent questions may differ. It will allow us to optimize the survey and use as little of your time as possible.

How will the survey handle any discrepancies or outliers in the data? Will there be a validation process to ensure data accuracy? What measures are in place to ensure the quality and reliability of the survey results?

To ensure we take care of the outliers in the data, the analysis of the results will not be taking into account the results falling below the 5th percentile and above the 95th percentile. Additionally, we remove answers coming from the “speed runners” (respondents who complete the survey too fast) and coming from the “flat runners” (respondents who click the same answer regardless of the question even when this does not make logical sense). The survey includes “red flag” and “trap” questions that check for internal logic and reading of the questions.

How will the survey account for regional differences in the IT industry when analyzing and reporting the results?

The survey asks about the country where the company is based to be able to cut the data also by this parameter. However, the analysis by country/region will only be done if the sample collected is large enough to allow for conclusion drawing.

What is the main purpose and objective of this survey?

The main idea is to create the report that will allow managers of IT service companies to:
- compare themselves in terms of three key management indicators: utilization, profitability, and EBIT,
- understand the maturity of the market and the current position of their company, and receive information on its maturity and subsequent steps needed to be taken to jump to the next level
- understand the perspective and trends of industry representatives and leaders from different regions in Europe

Who are the report and survey for?

The report was designed for C-Level Executives (including, but not limited to: CEOs, COOs, CFOs) managing professional IT services firms from Europe.

If you run:
- a software development company,
- a digital agency,
- IT consulting company,
or any other firm that is focused on delivering IT services as a core and you are focused primarily on operations - this report is for you!

What data should I prepare before participating in this survey? Can I designate a specific team member from my company to complete the survey on my behalf, or am I required to complete it?

The first and most important condition for participating in the survey is to be sure that you have general overview (high-level perspective) on operations in your IT services firm.

That includes the answers to the questions such as:
- whether or not your employees track time (if so, how exactly - billable, non-billable tasks, etc.),
- do you track profitability across projects/clients and how,
- do your managers have access to financial data and to what extent, etc.

Secondly, before you start this survey, you should prepare metrics such as: the EBIT, average 1st-degree project profitability, and utilization level (if you track those metrics) for 2023.

Last but not least, make a good coffee, find 20’ for yourself in a peaceful place, and turn on some good music :)

How long will the survey take to complete and what is the deadline for completing the survey?

Depending on your agency’s maturity, the survey should take 10-20 minutes. The deadline for closing the survey form is the end of August, so we can prepare results while you will be on your well-earned holidays.

When will I get access to the report and personalized benchmark with my company's maturity score?

The report with results and personalized insights should be ready by the end of September 2024. We will keep you informed through our Social Media and Newsletter.

Will the survey results be shared with the participants? If so, in what format and when? Will the survey results be public, or will they be available only for participating companies?

The personalized results will be shared with companies that took part in the survey (if you provide your email address) and members of the communities that supported us during the survey.

The report itself will be available in PDF in two versions:
- standard - for companies that did not participate in the survey,
- exclusive - with personalized self-assessment and insights for companies that did participate in the survey.

If I have any concerns or questions while completing the survey, how can I contact someone who can assist me??

Of course! You can reach us directly using our live chat, email address or by contacting a community representative (if you are an active member of such). To add to that, the survey also contains tips allowing you to complete it quickly.

What is Primetric by BigTime?

Primetric by BigTime is the tool in which you regularly track and forecast people availability, margin and project progress. Since 2016, we have been helping managers make better business decisions to increase project profitability, utilization and scale their businesses by providing a bird's eye view of the company's key operations and management processes.

We are a SaaS tool used by managers of IT service companies from more than 15 countries, including: TOP 50 companies of the Polish Clutch and the fastest growing IT service companies according to the Financial Times, Deloitte, or Forbes in Europe.

How many IT communities participate in the report?

By now, report is supported by 8 major European IT communities such as:
- SoDA (Poland) learn more
- ITCorner (Poland) learn more
- ClujIT (Romania) learn more
- ZIT (Slovenia) learn more
- CISEX (Croatia) learn more
- ESTA Cluster (Poland) learn more
- 3B ICT (Global) learn more